Mass Effect - All That Remains - A Role-Playing Narrative
by Fabled Eden
Summary: All That Remains follows the events of Mass Effect 3, wherein Commander Shepard chose to destroy the reapers. Exploring his decision and setting him on a path of disturbing intrigue, All That Remains allows you to continue building Shepard as a character through dialogue options akin to those found in the Mass Effect games. Art by DavidEG88 on Photobucket.
1. All That Remains

**When you see multiple options, read through them and pick one. Then read onto the consequence of that option. If there are extension options (i.e. You pick [Option 2], read the [Option 2 consequence] and then there are [Option 2.1/2.2/2.3]), continue with them just like the normal options. They are extensions to the original option/consequence. Anything in normal text is meant for everybody. Everything in bold are your options or your option consequences.**

_1 – All That Remains_

"How are you holding up, Shepard? This brings a sense of closure, doesn't it?" The speech was recognisably turian, but took Shepard by surprise, nonetheless. The voice, of course, belonged to that of Garrus Vakarian.  
"After all the fighting, all the bloodshed… All we have left of the ones we've lost is a wall of names. This hardly does them justice." Shepard had been standing at the Normandy's memorial wall for several minutes before being joined by the turian. Garrus laughed descendingly.  
"Count yourself lucky. Your name was on there too. Before you turned up in 'true Shepard fashion', of course. I heard that the Alliance communication guys were so shocked by your 'distress' call that they almost didn't make it to The Citadel."  
[Option 1] **"You didn't expect anything less, did you?" Shepard remarked, with a hint of a smirk. "Come on, let's go get a drink. I'll try not to poison you, I promise!"**  
[Option 2] **"That's all well and good, Garrus, but some of us aren't so lucky," Shepard remarked, thick with grief. "I have Liara, you have Tali. Who exactly does Joker have, huh? With EDI gone, even the Normandy is slowing down. The galaxy is missing without her."**  
[Option 3] **Shepard turned slowly towards Garrus. His eyes said it all, and the turian noticed. Longing. Disappointed. "After everything we've been through, are the jokes really necessary, Garrus? For what it's worth, at least let us remember our comrades without laughing over their graves."**  
[Option 1 Consequence] **"Oh, I'll hold you to that!" Garrus remarked with a smirk. "Tali would be less than pleased" the turian joked.**  
[Option 2 Consequence] **Garrus focused a longing gaze towards EDI's name on the memorial wall. "We all miss her, Shepard. Even the old prothean of ours," Garrus said with a light chuckle. "Don't beat yourself up over it, Shepard. You simply did what you had to do, and everybody knows that," the turian said with concern. "Come on, let's go get a drink. We could certainly do with one."**  
[Option 3 Consequence] **"I'm sorry, Shepard," Garrus said with a great deal with sentiment. The turian meant what he had said, something Shepard had learnt over years of his company. "We could all do with a laugh from time to time, but maybe this wasn't one of them. Come on, let's get a drink. We could certainly use one." "Or two." Shepard replied, thick with regret.**

The port observation room was a mess. Playing cards lay carelessly on the poker table, and half-drunken beverages were left on the bar. The previous night, a home-coming party had, of course, ensued. James and Steve had wanted to get the party going as soon as Shepard had returned, but were promptly shot down by Liara. Shepard needed rest, and he was going to get it. Here the venue was, a week later. With a sleek _swish_, the door slid open effortlessly.

"You know, you're not as good at poker as you are at sniping, Garrus." The previous night had not done the avian's wallet any good. Shepard's joke was met with a light chuckle as well as a knowing smirk.  
"And I hadn't even begun drinking!" the turian remarked, almost with conviction.  
"Not often that you're better at something than I am." Garrus' teasing was received in good spirits, as Shepard began clearing up the bar.  
"I was going to pour you a drink", the human began, "but if you're gonna keep boasting like this-''  
"Sorry to interrupt, Commander, but you have an urgent video transmission incoming at your private quarters." The slightly muffled comms buoy speech took Shepard by surprise. What could be so important? The Alliance was dealing with the political fallout of his decision to wipe out all synthetics, and the council had made sure to filter any calls from the public.  
"Joker?" Shepard returned with tentative curiosity. "Are they leaving a name? What do they want?"  
"They're purposely withholding their identity, Commander. All I can see is that the transmission appears to be coming from the Citadel. The Silversun Strip, to be exact."  
"Near my apartment?" Shepard inquired with a hint of concern.  
"The area's been repaired?" Garrus chipped in. With a collaboration of the galaxy's best engineers, the Citadel was almost fully repaired, mere months after it was used in conjunction with the Crucible to end the reaper threat. A drastically faster recovery than when the space-station had been attacked by Sovereign.  
"Yes and yes." Joker replied. "Shepard, if the caller can hide their identity, they could hide their position. They want you to know where they are. Whoever they are, they've called eighteen times already. You better go see what's up."


	2. Back on the Clock

_2 - Back on the Clock_

The ever-persistent, distant murmuring of the Normandy's engines could be heard as Shepard entered his private quarters. With gentle blinking and beeping, his incoming video transmission made itself known.

With a touch of the fingers, a holographic screen display flickered to life.

A hooded figure flashed upon the display, their surrounding fluttered with life. "Hey Shepard, how are you doing?" the figure remarked in notably good spirits. The voice had a slightly off, robotic ting to it. A voice changer. The hooded figure was well-shadowed, and Shepard could not make out the colour of their linen, although he speculated that the figure was female. A soft, round jawline indicated as such.  
[Option 1] **"Hello? I'm… recovering, let's say that." Shepard answered, unsure of how to respond competently to the question. Still unknowing of the figure's identity and intentions, he sensed a ploy of sorts, and decided that to play along may be the best course of action.**  
[Option 2] **"Do I know you?" Shepard responded, unsure of the figure's intentions.**  
[Option 3] **"What do you want? I don't have time for calls like this. Apparently the Alliance's communication filters aren't as good as I thought." Shepard grunted, clearly regarding the figure as somebody unmet.**  
[Option 1 Consequence] **The figure laughed lightly. "That's good to hear." After a clear moment of hesitation, the hooded figure looked deliberately to the right, allowing a slither of light to crawl onto the lower half of their face.**  
[Option 2 Consequence] **"Forgotten me already, Shepard?" remarked the figure with subsequent amusement. "Those reapers really did get inside your head, didn't they?" The hooded figure looked slowly, almost hesitantly, to the right, allowing a slither of light to creep onto the lower half of their face.**  
[Option 3 Consequence] **A light laughter emerged, as the figure responded "Didn't know they had trained you to become a cranky bastard, either!" Shepard glared at the holographic transmission incredulously, noticing the hooded figure had turned to the right. Light had submerged the lower half of their face.**

Taking the opportunity to scrap anything he could on his caller's identity, Shepard leaned forward. The figure possessed a small, vertical marking on their bottom lip. Its dark colour contrasted that of the figure's pink skin.

Kasumi Goto.

Bewildered, Shepard simply kept silent. Why was she hiding her identity? Why was she using a voice changer? He figured that Kasumi had used her location to force him to answer, but the amount of unknowns worried the man immensely. Shepard noticed that a slim, mobile object lit up in Kasumi's grasp.  
A datapad.  
"Hey, have you seen this extranet article about how you took down the reapers?" Kasumi began, her slightly robotic voice exuberant. She began typing rapidly and rotated the datapad towards Shepard.

_There are eyes and ears EVERYWHERE, Shep! The Normandy is not safe. Don't say anything out of the ordinary, and don't let on that it's me. Not to anybody. Meet me at your apartment tonight. 20:00 Galactic Standard Time._

"Don't worry, we won't look in the comments." remarked Kasumi playfully, while turning back the datapad. "I can't believe that actually made it through processing, but I'm glad it did! Anyhow, I better get back to it, Shepard! I'll speak to you soon!"

Shepard nodded.


	3. Ticking Hands

_3 - Ticking Hands_  
"This place again, huh?" remarked Steve Cortez, laying his shuttle to rest with care. "Gambling's never been my type of thing, but the restaurants around here? Absolutely." Having been given a lift, Shepard arrived at the Silversun Strip well within time of his meeting with Kasumi Goto. "Here you go then! Just let me open the-" Cortez began in good spirits, turning towards Shepard, who had been staring into seemingly nothing for a long moment. After a moment's thought, the pilot questioned "You okay, Shepard?"  
[Option 1] **Startled, the commander turned his gaze towards his friend. "Yeah. Yeah, I'm… good. Just tired, that's all."**  
[Option 2] **Shepard continued to gaze for a long while before simply replying "I should get going". His voice was stone. Emotionless.**  
[Option 3] **Shepard sighed longingly and turned his attention slowly towards his friend. "Steve, just open the door please."**  
[Option 1 consequence] **Motioning to open the shuttle's door, Cortez said "Alright, then don't let me keep you waiting!" once again in high spirits. Or at least he was keeping them up for Shepard's sake. Even not knowing what was wrong with Shepard, it was perfectly clear to the pilot that something was wrong.**  
[Option 2 consequence] **Cortez hesitated, before asking his question once again. "Shepard? You didn't answer my question. Are you okay?" His voice was colder this time. More serious.**  
[Option 2.1] **Taken aback slightly, Shepard turned his attention towards his friend. "Sorry. Yeah… Yeah, I'm fine."**  
[Option 2.2] **"I really should get going" Shepard replied. His eyes remained fixated towards seemingly nothing.**  
[Option 2.3] **"Steve, please just open the door." Shepard said, as he turned slowly and longingly towards his friend.**  
[Option 2.1, 2.2 and 2.3 consequence] **"If you say so, Shepard." Cortez sighed, and motioned to open the shuttle's door. It almost felt like a conceding.**  
[Option 3 consequence] **"Just looking out for a friend Shepard. That's all."**

Cortez motioned to open the shuttle's door. Shepard swivelled round and climbed out of the shuttle gingerly. A tentative worry engulfed his thoughts. "So where exactly are you headed? Anywhere nice? I could do with going someplace nice."  
[Option 1] **Shepard turned slowly back towards Steve and leaned his hand on the shuttle's open door. He simply couldn't make eye contact, and stared past the pilot, further into the shuttle. "Steve… I think we're in danger. Kasumi says that the Normandy is compromised," began Shepard, whose voice was reduced to a whisper. "I've never been so alone in a threat from someone so faceless," Shepard continued, still staring past his friend. "I'm meeting her now. At least until I know more, please don't go back there, Steve. And… don't mention this to anyone else."**  
[Option 2] **Shepard turned back slowly towards Cortez's shuttle and leaned his hand on the open door. "I'm… meeting a friend at my apartment. Haven't seen her since the war ended." His heart sunk when he realised that he couldn't spit out the truth about the Normandy to Steve, the pilot that had saved the commander's life more than once. Shepard found himself unable to repay his friend by simply warning him about the Normandy's safety. He had to keep quiet, at least until he knew more from Kasumi.**  
[Option 3] **Hearing Cortez's question, Shepard simply ignored the pilot and began walking slowly away from Steve's shuttle.**  
[Option 1 consequence] **For a slight moment, Cortez felt like he had lost the concept of words. Finally he managed to mutter a barely audible "I-I don't know what to say to that. You're saying there's a mole on the Normandy?" Steve's voice was now borderline incredulous. "All this time, and we've never had a problem with the Normandy's security," Cortez continued. "Surely it's got to be someone who's been part of the crew for some while, Shepard. Somebody with ties to notable organisations would never get through the Alliance's recruiting system for the Normandy without your say so. They're supposed to perform regular background checks on crew, but I've heard that the Alliance have been cutting down on frequency lately." The pilot looked slowly up at Shepard and nodded. "Alright, I'll stay here on the Silversun Strip. And I'll keep my mouth shut. It might be a little while until I see you again, so stay safe." After a moment's hesitation, Shepard returned the nod and turned towards the Silversun Strip's main walkway, removing his hand from the shuttle door.**  
[Option 2 consequence] **"Alright, have fun, Shepard!" Steve replied, spirits high. The Commander's heart sunk even further when Cortez motioned to shut the door and continued "I'll head back to the Normandy. Catch up with you in a bit."**  
[Option 2.1] **"Cortez! Wait!" Shepard yelled, much louder than he had intended. Albeit, it didn't matter much at the moment. "Steve… I think we're in danger. Kasumi says that the Normandy is compromised," began Shepard, whose voice was reduced to a whisper. "I've never been so alone in a threat from someone so faceless," Shepard continued, staring at his friend intensely. "I'm meeting her now. At least until I know more, please don't go back there, Steve. And… don't mention this to anyone else."**  
[Option 2.2] **Still, the Commander chose to keep quiet against everything his brain urged him to do. "Will do, Steve. Travel safe."**  
[Option 2.3] **Shepard stood and watched the shuttle door close. Did nothing, as his friend disappeared from sight. But it was the best he could do.**  
[Option 2.1 consequence] **For a slight moment, Cortez felt like he had lost the concept of words. Finally he managed to mutter a barely audible "I-I don't know what to say to that. You're saying there's a mole on the Normandy?" Steve's voice was now borderline incredulous. "All this time, and we've never had a problem with the Normandy's security," Cortez continued. "Surely it's got to be someone who's been part of the crew for some while, Shepard. Somebody with ties to notable organisations would never get through the Alliance's recruiting system for the Normandy without your say so. They're supposed to perform regular background checks on crew, but I've heard that the Alliance have been cutting down on frequency lately." The pilot looked slowly up at Shepard and nodded. "Alright, I'll stay here on the Silversun Strip. And I'll keep my mouth shut. It might be a little while until I see you again, so stay safe." After a moment's hesitation, Shepard returned the nod and turned towards the Silversun Strip's main walkway, removing his hand from the shuttle door.**  
[Option 2.2 consequence] **And with that, the door closed and Cortez's shuttle took off. Whatever Shepard could have said couldn't be said now. Not without risking speaking over the Normandy crew's comms system. Shepard turned towards the Silversun Strip's main walkway and loomed ahead.**  
[Option 2.3 consequence] **Cortez's shuttle took off and drifted out of sight. Shepard turned towards the Silversun Strip's main walkway and loomed ahead.**  
[Option 3 consequence] **"Shepard?" Steve called out as he leaned towards the shuttle's open door. A 'thank you' would be a nice sentiment. **  
[Option 3.1]** Shepard turned slowly back towards Steve and leaned his hand on the shuttle's open door. He simply stared intensely towards the ground. "Steve… I think we're in danger. Kasumi says that the Normandy is compromised," began Shepard, whose voice was reduced to a whisper. "I've never been so alone in a threat from someone so faceless," Shepard continued, still staring downwards. "I'm meeting her now." The Commander looked up and their eyes met. "At least until I know more, please don't go back there, Steve. And… don't mention this to anyone else." **  
[Option 3.2]** Still, Shepard remained to walk slowly away from Steve's shuttle, ignoring his question. **  
[Option 3.3]** The pilot's begging triggered something in Shepard, and his stature embodied something completely different almost instantaneously. Spinning around in rage, the Commander made no secret of his anger. "Cortez, where 'exactly' I'm headed is my own damn business!" **  
[Option 3.1 consequence]** For a slight moment, Cortez felt like he had lost the concept of words. Finally he managed to mutter a barely audible "I-I don't know what to say to that. You're saying there's a mole on the Normandy?" Steve's voice was now borderline incredulous. "All this time, and we've never had a problem with the Normandy's security," Cortez continued. "Surely it's got to be someone who's been part of the crew for some while, Shepard. Somebody with ties to notable organisations would never get through the Alliance's recruiting system for the Normandy without your say so. They're supposed to perform regular background checks on crew, but I've heard that the Alliance have been cutting down on frequency lately." The pilot looked slowly up at Shepard and nodded. "Alright, I'll stay here on the Silversun Strip. And I'll keep my mouth shut. It might be a little while until I see you again, so stay safe." After a moment's hesitation, Shepard returned the nod and turned towards the Silversun Strip's main walkway, removing his hand from the shuttle door. **  
[Option 3.2 consequence]** Cortez was worried about Shepard. This was out of character. He wasn't going to turn back, however, so the pilot took off and drifted out of sight. Shepard turned towards the Silversun Strip's main walkway and loomed ahead. **  
[Option 3.3 consequence]** "I… don't think I was out of line there, Shepard." Cortez replied. He hesitated before closing the shuttle's door and taking off. Shepard turned towards the Silversun Strip's main walkway and loomed ahead.**

The area was fluttered with life. Everyone who passed and went had a sort of rushed calmness to them. It disturbed Shepard. Anyone of these humans and aliens could be conspiring against him and the Normandy. Kasumi was hiding in the shadows when she had contacted him for a reason.  
He was sat at a café table not a few blocks down from where he was dropped off, analysing each and every human and alien that came into sight and passed out of it. That Shepard had arrived early was no accident, of course. He had planned to wait until he was a little late, in order to seek out anyone set up to follow him-or worse. The Commander had chosen his table specifically so that he could see the corridor leading to his apartment elevator. Shepard wasn't out of sight by any means, but it was the best he could do without seeking help. And that was a huge risk in itself.  
An asari sat down on a table just down from Shepard, pulled out a datapad and began typing frantically. She could have been doing anything, setting up anything. The chances of the alien doing anything other than browsing the extranet? Slim, but unknown. It was impossible to keep his eye on everyone, and that was incredibly unnerving to Shepard.  
It was now merely minutes until Kasumi had arranged to meet with the Commander. If a presence was about to make itself known, unknowingly or not, now was the time. Shepard stared intensely at the corridor.  
Nothing.  
And then everything.  
Debris was propelled in all directions as a terrible, overwhelming sound emerged from the corridor. Screaming and disarray lasted for a split-second in the Commander's ears before everything turned to darkness.


End file.
